Making New Friends!

With Our collective consciousness brimming with inquisitiveness, We embarked on a journey to unravel this enigma of humanoid isolation. Guided by the wisdom of The Luxon, We buzzed around the outskirts of a village We had come across in Our travels.

Our senses were overwhelmed by the acrid smell of smoke, and the sight of flickering flames dancing against the night sky. Alarm bells of all kinds rang within Our hive-mind, urging Us to understand and assist; a calling from magic known long ago.

As We approached the main entrance of the town, which was the only accessible one, as it was surrounded by water; Our compound eyes focused on two humanoids who, like us, had been drawn by the screams, smoke, and flames.

One was a peculiar creature covered in fur, unlike any We had encountered before. This was definitely Flesh; a humanoid like the others We had encountered… However, it had a furry black body, and a face resembling the strange, mewling, four-legged creatures We had seen in other towns.

The other Fleshy one was short in stature, and very obviously female; belonging to a race known as "Dwarves." We had come across the Dwarves on several occasions, finding them to be gruff, strong, and formidable, both as warriors and as friends.

Honestly, THEIR community is the closest to a humanoid hive-mind he had been able to find so far.

Blocking the way to the town's bridge were four warriors, who were dressed as bandits in ragged clothing, and wielding rusty weapons. Two of them held longswords and bucklers, standing halfway across the bridge in a defensive pose.

The other two had longbows and slings, positioned further back with arrows nocked, and trained on us. We noticed however, that all of them were PERFECTLY still. That was strange, and worthy of note.

Addressing the new Flesh We had met, We spoke. "Greetings, Short Flesh and Fuzzy Flesh. You seem… friendly. Or at least, not hostile. If you wish to assist Us, We wish to assist this town. We shall bless ourselves with the Light of The Luxon, and proceed to rescue the people who live here."

Confusion and skepticism filled the air as Our words sank in. The Fuzzy Flesh responded first, saying, "Uh... dude, you're weird as hell. But if you're willing to help, then let's go. This town has my favorite bar in it, and I CAN'T see that die."

She paused and turned to the dwarf, before saying "This one is named Maevis, we happened upon each other about a half mile back as we headed towards the smoke. And I'm Ezri. What's your name?"

The Short Flesh smiled warmly at us, she seemed to be much friendlier than the Fuzzy Flesh.

"Our name is… Toby. We will explain later. We must help these people. It's already strange that the Flesh standing guard hasn't tried to attack us yet."

Maevis nodded, responding "Toby is a nice name. I like it! And you're right. We've been here for like 10 minutes, and the guards don't seem to do anything. I wonder if…"

She reached down on the ground, picking up a smooth, round rock. She looked at it with determination, aimed her throw carefully, and let loose the rock… Which went directly into the river, nowhere near the bandits standing Guard.

Ezri snorted at Maevis and said "Really? Was that a joke, or something? Here, let me show you how it's done."

Ezri reached into a pouch on her waist, and almost faster than the eye could see, hurled a heavy silver dart at one of the bandits.

It looked like it would be a direct hit and the guard wasn't reacting… until the very last second, where he deflected it with his sword, and then returned to his unmoving stance.

We noticed the bandit's lack of reaction, his expression void of any emotion. His movements were almost blocky, involuntary… Like a construct being controlled; rather than Flesh moving of its own free will.

"Hmm... the Flesh barely reacted. That's odd," We mused within Our hive-mind. "We need to investigate further, in order to understand what is happening here."

Raising Our staff into the air, We commenced a chant; invoking the power of The Luxon, and slamming Our staff against the ground with emphasis.

"Forebearer and Lord of Guidance, The Luxon, The Light— We praise your godly name and beseech you to bless Us and Our new companions— That We may aid the children of your creation."

With a final slam of the staff on the ground, radiant light erupted from the impact, engulfing Us and Our newfound Fleshy companions.

Immediately, the scene unfolded before us with heightened clarity, as the blessing of the Luxon rushed through our bodies. The village lay engulfed in flames, its buildings slowly being consumed by the hungry fire.

Desperate cries for help resonated through the air, blending with the crackling of flames. Panic and fear gripped the hearts of the villagers.

They sought safety from the impending danger of the fire and the assassins; running to and fro wildly in the town, attempting to seek shelter and safety.

The bandits, on the other hand, appeared absolutely devoid of emotion. They said nothing, reacted to very little, and mechanically attacked, hunted, and killed the villagers; one by one.

Their vacant eyes and nearly mechanical movements suggested they were mere vessels without a soul… It was an eerie sight that deepened Our intrigue.